The present invention relates to an electrical connector having a guide metal member. In particular, the present invention relates to an electrical connector having a guide metal member for guiding a mating connector when the electrical connector is connected to the mating connector.
A conventional electrical connector is to be inserted to or removed from a mating connector, and often includes a guide metal member for guiding the mating connector upon fitting/inserting the mating connector thereto. Patent Reference has disclosed such a conventional electrical connector.
Patent Reference: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-59589
In the conventional electrical connector disclosed in Patent reference, the conventional electrical connector (referred to as a plug connector B in Patent reference) includes a housing, and a space is formed and surrounded by a circumferential wall composed of side walls and end walls of the housing as a receiving section for fitting/inserting a mating connector. The conventional electrical connector includes a side shield and an end side shield made of a metal plate disposed on outer surfaces of the side walls and the end walls forming outer circumferential surfaces of the circumferential wall. The side shield and the end side shield are held such that the side shield and the end side shield partially contact to each other, thereby forming a frame-shape shielding member.
In the conventional electrical connector disclosed in Patent reference, the side shield and the end side shield include contact pieces that extend from upper edges thereof and bent to inverse U-shapes, so that the contact pieces form shield contact piece sections of the mating connector after the conventional electrical connector is fitted to the mating connector.
According to Patent Reference, it has not been clearly disclosed how the side shield and the end side shield are attached to the housing. It appears that the side shield is formed in a strip shape and disposed to the side walls of the housing so as to contact with the side walls with surfaces thereof. A step-shape groove section is disposed at both ends of a groove section formed in the outer surfaces of the side walls, so that inner walls of the step-shape groove section tightly press and hold the end surfaces of the side shield in the longitudinal direction.
In the conventional electrical connector disclosed in Patent reference, the end side shield is formed through bending a metal plate in a thickness direction thereof so as to form a 90-degree rotated U-shape when viewed in the connector fitting direction. Further, the end side shield includes open end leg sections facing each other, and the open end leg sections are tilted to close to each other. Accordingly, the open end leg sections of the end side shield are considered to hold and tightly press one end portion of the side shield from outside. When the open leg sections of the end side shield elastically hold and tightly press the side shield, the end side shield is electrically connected to the side shield in a state the end side shield is held. As a result, the side shield and the end side shield form the frame-shape shield member.
In the conventional electrical connector disclosed in Patent reference, the shield member is arranged to surround the housing thereof. Accordingly, even when the conventional electrical connector is repeatedly inserted to and removed from the mating connector, it is possible to protect the housing from wear and damage at the contact surfaces thereof due to repetitive insertion/removal. Further, it is also possible to improve strength of the conventional electrical connector.
In the conventional electrical connector disclosed in Patent reference, the shield contact pieces provided in the shield member are bent downward to form the inverse U-shape on an inner side thereof, which is to be a side of a receiving section thereof. Further, the free end-side portions of the shield contact pieces are provided protruding inward toward the receiving section relative to the inner surface of the circumferential wall. Therefore, when the conventional electrical connector is fitted to the mating connector, the shield contact pieces function as guide metal members that contact with and guide corresponding sections of the shield member of the mating connector while elastically deforming.
In the conventional electrical connector disclosed in Patent reference, the side shield is provided with a protrusion on a side of an inner surface of the shield contact piece thereof. The end side shield is provided with holes on the inner side of the shield contact pieces. Accordingly, when the conventional electrical connector is fitted to the mating connector, the holes and the protrusions engage and contact with hole and protrusions provided at corresponding parts on a shield member of the mating connector, so that the shield contact pieces can be connected to each other.
In the conventional electrical connector disclosed in Patent reference, the shield contact piece of the side shield and the shield contact piece of the side shield have the inverse U-shape. Further, one of two legs of the inverse U-shape becomes a free end and is not supported by the housing to form a gap from the housing so as to enable elastic displacement, so that the shield contact piece can deform elastically. Accordingly, it is possible to securely contact the shield contact pieces of the conventional electrical connector with the shield contact pieces of the mating connector.
In the conventional electrical connector disclosed in Patent reference, when the shielding contact pieces elastically contact with the mating shielding contact pieces, the shielding contact pieces generate a contact pressure corresponding to an amount of the elastic displacement thereof at the contacting part thereof. Accordingly, the shielding contact pieces receive counterforce from the mating shielding contact pieces, and the protrusions and the holes engage with each other. Therefore, when the conventional electrical connector is disconnected from the mating connector, in addition to a force corresponding to the engaging force of the protrusions and the holes, it is necessary to apply a force greater than a frictional force generated by the counterforce due to the contact force to the mating connector to remove the mating connector from the conventional electrical connector.
In the conventional electrical connector disclosed in Patent reference, as described above, the shielding contact pieces are not completely supported by the housing, so that the shielding contact pieces can freely and elastically displace. Accordingly, when the force is applied to the shielding contact pieces, the shielding contact pieces may deform not only in the direction of the contact pressure but also in the pullout direction. When the shielding contact pieces receive such a force to pull out the conventional electrical connector from the mating connector, the shielding contact pieces may cause plastic deformation and damage. Further, it is difficult to provide a sufficient strength for protecting the housing with the shield member.
In view of the problems described above, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector having a guide metal member capable of effectively protecting a housing thereof while guiding a mating connector when the electrical connector is connected to the mating connector. Further, even when the electrical connector is repeatedly connected to and pulled out from the mating connector, it is possible to minimize wear and damage of the electrical connector.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of the present invention.